Reports claimed that up to 100 MPs could be prepared to put their names
to the petition, which read: “Dear Gordon, over the last 12 years in
government, and before, you have made an enormous contribution to this
country and to the Labour Party, and this is very widely acknowledged.

“However we are writing now because we believe that in the current
political situation, you can best serve the Labour Party and the country
by stepping down as party leader and prime minister, and so allowing the
party to choose a new leader to take us into the next general election.”

Attention was also focusing on cabinet ministers and their likely
responses to the imminent cabinet reshuffle that Mr Brown hopes will
reinvent his government and lead Labour into the general election year.

In an atmosphere of feverish speculation, it was being suggested that Mr
Brown’s authority could be dealt another lethal blow if ministers
refused to be moved or to continue to serve as the prime minister
chooses.

Central to that scenario is the position of the chancellor, Alistair
Darling, who Mr Brown again refused to confirm will still be in his
office next week.

It was revealed that Darling had “flipped” the designation of his main
and second homes four times in four years to maximise his benefit from
expenses, while also using British taxpayers’ money to pay his personal
accountancy bills.

Scores of Tory MPs including himself have also been caught in the
scandal to some degree, but Conservative leader David Cameron claimed Mr
Brown’s ability to command his cabinet had “disappeared” and that his
government was “collapsing before our eyes”.

He suggested that “a rash of byelections” would actually deflect from
the widespread feeling that the British general election will not be
delayed beyond late July or early September.

“The prime minister is thrashing around, fighting for his own political
survival. The country doesn’t have a government, it has a void,” he
charged. “Labour is finished. The only choice now is between the
Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.”

Mr Brown’s difficulties have been compounded by the scandal over MPs
expenses, and he suggested the resignations were connected to the
near-daily revelations by the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

Mr Cameron rejected that, and insisted that if it had to do with Ms
Blears’s expenses claims she should have resigned weeks ago.

WOODWARD OUT

However, British Direct Ruler Shaun Woodward, who has strongly defended
Mr Brown, is set for a significant promotion in Mr Brown’s planned
reshuffle.

His departure could see further derailment of the long-planned transfer
of policing and justice powers from London to Belfast.

The departing head of the Policing Board, Desmond Rea insisted this week
the time is now right for the devolution of justice powers to Stormont.

While the DUP and Sinn Féin have agreed to a process whereby the powers
will be transferred to a local ministry, a date has still not been set.

Speaking at his last formal engagement prior to stepping down as chair
of the Board, Rea said: “I believe lessons have been learnt and in that
respect policing is no different to any other organisation.”

Rea was replaced by deputy chair Barry Gilligan on June 1 but will
continue to serve as a member of the board.